Is Your Dog Ready For The Holidays?

This week's edition of "Surviving the Holidays" has gone to the dogs!  In preparation for the big holiday parties we looked to pooch expert Heidi McNeil for some four-legged friendly advice.  Take it away Heidi!

It's always a good idea to prepare in advance for the holidays so that your dog knows what is expected of him.

The increased number of people and noise at your house can overwhelm a dog, so it's a good idea to have a safe place for your dog to escape to if he wants to take a break from the action.  A crate that he likes and is already used to, or a room where he can go off for some peace, is a good escape place for your dog.  Make sure that your dog is already comfortable with the crate before the holidays.

A dog with good manners is always a welcome guest at the party!  Make sure that your dog knows some basic manners beforehand such as:

•  No Jumping up.  Teach your dog to do something else instead, like Sit.  He can't possibly Sit and Jump Up at the same time and Sitting gets attention and petting.  Reward your dog for having all four feet on the floor!
• Leave it.  This is particularly helpful if your dog is eyeballing the Roast!  Or fallen cracker.  Or cheese table.  Or just about anything that your dog is salivating over!
• Sit and Stay.  This is always helpful when guests are coming and going out the front door.
• Go on your mat.  This is my personal favorite for when you are finally sitting down to eat dinner.  No one likes to have a dog howling at the table and giving you the "big brown eyes, I've never been fed" look while you are trying to enjoy your meal.  Teach your dog to Go on Your Mat, Lie Down and Stay.  Reward him for this behavior instead of his other table antics!

With Holiday decorations, it's important to 'dog-proof' the house.  Cover up or hide extra electrical wires.  If your dog is taking a liking to your tree (for his toilet area or chewing) then put up a barrier (like an exercise pen) around the tree to prevent your dog from having access.  You can also close the door to that room or use baby gates.  Limit your dog's access to these decorations and supervise him all the time!  If your dog doesn't like people or kids very much and you'll be having guests over for the holidays, you might consider boarding your dog.  Azure Knowles, co-owner of MetroPet Dog Center in Warwick, says "Many dog daycare clients bring their dogs to MetroPet over the holiday because they know their dogs will be too stressed by the commotion.  Here the dogs will play, nap, eat, (repeat!) and the dog's will have a good time!"

The Big Day

The big day has arrived!  Friends and family are coming over in a few hours.  How do you prepare your dog for the day?

Exercise!  Exercise!  Exercise!  A tired dog is less likely to get into trouble!  Take your dog to the South Kingstown Dog Park for good physical, panting, exercise!  When you're at home, get the kids to throw the tennis ball for your dog in the yard (this keeps the dog and the kids occupied!)  

Have your Kongs stuffed and marrow bones in the refrigerator ready to go so that when your dog looks like he's itching to 'do' something, he'll have "legal" things to do.

Prepare your dog's crate or Quiet Room and let him hang out there already.  You want him to know where it is (especially if you had to move things around for company.)  Tell your guests (especially the kids) that no one can bother the dog when he's in his Quiet Room or crate.  Your dog needs to be able to remove himself from the chaos if he feels the need to.

Supervise your dog and remind him to practice his manners whenever you need to! And, of course, you can always take your dog out for more exercise!

Puppies have special needs when introducing them to family and friends, especially during the busy holiday season.

Puppies go through a critical socialization period from about 3 weeks to 16 weeks of age.  This is a special time in their life when a small amount of experience will produce a great effect on later behavior.  During this period your puppy's mind is like a sponge!  Whatever he experiences during this Socialization period will stay with him for the rest of his life.  Puppies learn whether things are safe or dangerous, and if this a good thing or bad thing.  Is the 2-year-old blonde boy a good thing or bad thing?  Are strangers safe or dangerous? During his period, we want to build their confidence and build a solid foundation for later behavior by giving them safe, positive experiences.  Here are a few tips:

§  All strangers who meet the puppy should be at the puppy's level (i.e. Stranger sits on the floor or Mom/Dad holds puppy in their arms).  The Stranger should be quiet and hold out their hand to offer the puppy a yummy treat.  Let the puppy approach the stranger at his own pace.  Don't make big high-pitched "Ooohhhhh, How Cuuuuute" sounds because that might scare the puppy.  We want the puppy to learn that "good things happen when I meet a stranger."  This greeting procedure especially applies to children too!

• Puppies are teething so make sure that you give him plenty of stuffed Kongs, marrow bones or chew toys to keep him busy. If left to their own devices, puppies will put everything in their mouth!
• Exercise.  It's a good idea to give your pup some exercise before all the activities, but we don't recommend the Dog Park until he's at least 6 months old (for socialization reasons)!  A good walk in the neighborhood, fetch in the backyard or some fun puzzle toy will help to burn off some of that energy!
• Housetraining.  Make sure that you take your pup outside to his potty spot every hour just in case he has to 'go.'  It's easier to reward for good behavior than wait until it's too late.  Your puppy might be too young to give you a 'signal' just yet, so we have to help him by taking him outside more often than we think.
• Supervise your puppy all the time.  You want to prevent him from getting into trouble and redirect his behavior.  You can tether him to you on his leash.  If you can't watch him, then you can put him in his crate or an exercise pen with a Kong or bone.  At least you know he can't get into wires or gift wrapping in there!
• If your puppy is looking scared (cowering, hiding under the table, tail tucked, ears back) then give him some quiet time with you or in his crate with a yummy bone.  The rule is that people can't go bother the puppy when he's in his crate.  Remember that this may be overwhelming to your puppy and we want to give him good experiences during this critical socialization period.

During this season, don't forget the needs of your dog.  With a little preparation, we can all get through the holidays peacefully!  Enjoy the holidays and don't forget to fill your dog's stocking with yummy treats for all his good behavior!  

Heidi Palmer McNeil, CTC, CPDT-KA, is a nationally Certified Pet Dog Trainer and owns Pooch Pawsitive Dog Training in Rhode Island,  www.poochpawsitive.com.  She is also President of the South Kingstown Dog Park Association, www.skdogpark.org.